One Year Anniversary. 

I have been thinking about this post for months and it's been in the making ever since. One year ago, March 8th, 2014, I was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You could say that if the church was a man, it would have proposed by now. Leading up to this day I had been isolated from my family, lost a lot of my friends from my former church, and had no idea what exactly I was going to be coming into. The thought of "what if this is a mistake" kept popping into my head. And what if it was? I had no idea of knowing. I never understood the meaning of the word "baptized" until I joined my church. I thought even if I was baptized, if it wasn't the church for me, I could just leave. And in reality, I could have. So the main question is, why the heck would I go through with being baptized?

One of the hardest things for me was when I was sitting in the chair in the children's room in my white jumpsuit with my elders by my side waiting to officially be a member. I had such loving support from amazing people, but all I could think about was how my family and my good friends at the time weren't there. The people I wanted to know loved me regardless of faith, weren't there. I knew that my life would forever change, I just didn't know how. And sometimes that is the scariest thing. The not knowing. And when you go against everyone in your life, the not knowing sometimes means going at it alone. But in a church, you are never going at it "alone."

My church has become my family. The people I have met just in the first year of being a member have made me more fully understand how right my decision was. That moment of uncertainty as I sat in the chair fades away when I think of the love, pure love I have felt. And it's not like everyone is BFF's with everyone, not everyone is going to love you. That's when the moments of knowing that the gospel I have gives me strength. I have never been closer to my God more than I am now. And I truly didn't think that was possible. And while some people may say I am "brain washed" or in a "cult," I always remember how much I felt the Holy Ghost when I had prayed about it and no one can deny me that. But, as much as I have learned, there is nothing more valuable to me is the importance of respect I have gained.

I am  Catholic raised Christian youth leader Mormon. There are many people from my former church who stopped talking to me, stopped respecting me, asked me to stop talking with the youth, and some to this day tell me what a horrible person I am. At first I was hurt and bitter. I thought "who are they to judge me?" And then it hit me, Who are we to judge anyone? While I am proud to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that does not give me the right to be arrogant and to go up to people and tell them how wrong their faith is. If someone apart of the church would have come up to me and told me how wrong my faith was, I would have never joined this church.

If we tell people and think that we are better than them, how does that make us any better than the people from my former church telling me to unfriend the youth because I'm such a horrible person? IT DOESN'T. No offense to anyone that thinks they are better, but you aren't Heavenly Father. A respect for what others believe can make their view on your faith that much more eye opening. A respect and willingness to understand allows them to want to understand yours as well. A respect for others makes a huge difference in their lives, weather either of you see it or not.

In the scriptures we read that Heavenly Father's love can move mountains. And when we have that kind of love for others, it changes everything. I have learned in my first year as being a member of the Mormon church that love and respect for others and their faiths is what is going to change everything for me and them and us together. Respecting each other will move mountains.

I am so grateful for my privilege to be apart of this gospel. To be challenged and growing every day. To have the people I do in my life and that love me unconditionally, even when I frustrate them. I am so grateful to be a Mormon.